The first enclosed amusement park in the United States, Sea Lion Park paved the way for amusement parks around the country as well as the Coney Island competitors that would drive it out of business. Built in 1895, it lasted until 1902.

The first of the three original iconic Coney Island Amusement Parks, Steeplechase Park was also the most long-lasting. Built in 1897, The Tilyou family ensured that it remained profitable throughout its life and consistently updated the park with the latest attractions.

Despite surviving a devastating fire (pictured here) and the Great Depression, Steeplechase Park met its fate when Marie Tilyou sold the park to Fred Trump in 1965. Trump, intending to rezone the park for residential housing, bulldozed the park in 1966.

Founded on the site of the Sea Lion Park in 1902 by Elmer Dundy and Frederic Thompson, Luna Park attempted to outdo Steeplechase Park by building on a grander and more extravagant scale. Dundy and Thompson, consummate showmen, organized publicity stunts (including the notorious execution of Topsy the Elephant) and built a massive electric tower in the center of the park.

However, despite its initial success, Luna Park was never able to remain profitable and drove Thompson into bankruptcy. Further owners weren't able to revive the fortunes of the park and a series of fires in 1944 (pictured) marked the death knell for Luna Park.

Dreamland was the last of the three iconic Coney Island Amusement parks, opening on May 15th in 1904, its goal was to be bigger and better than the neighboring Luna Park. Founded by WIlliam H, Reynolds, Dreamland's building was on a grand scale, the architecture was intended to appear sleek and sophisticated. Nevertheless, Dreamland struggled to compete with Luna Park which was more competently managed.

In order to beat out Luna Park, many changes and repairs were made before the 1911 season under the helm of the new manager Samuel W. Gumpertz. However, the night before it opened for the season, a bucket of hot pitch in the Hell's Gates ride was upset during repairs and the whole park was set ablaze.

By morning, the majority of the park had been burnt down (killing over 60 animals, but no humans.) It was not rebuilt.

The Fort George Amusement park, called Harlem's Coney Island, offered two Ferris wheels, three roller coasters, nine saloons, a pony track, hotels, a casino, shooting galleries, a tunnel boat ride, and two music halls. Easily accessible at the end of the Third Avenue Trolley line, the park opened in 1895. Like many others on this list, it met its end in a series of fires, one in 1911 and another 1913, both seemingly caused by arsonists.

The first amusement park in the Bronx, Starlight Park opened as Exposition Park in 1918 as part of a trade exposition intended to curry foreign investment after World War I. Following the Exposition's end in 1918, it became Starlight Park. Its main attraction was a gigantic, naturalistic swimming pool, as well as assorted rides and games. Later on it, a stadium known as the Coliseum was built and was home to the New York Giants for the better part of a decade. However, by 1940, the park was closed and systematically demolished.

Clason Point, due to its seaside nature, began attracting all sorts of saloons, novelties, and amusement park rides. Soon it became known as the Coney Island of the Bronx and had a ferry dedicated to shepherding visitors to its delights. However, in 1922, a freak windstorm blew over the park's Ferris Wheel, killing 24 people and dooming the park.